Sweet Revenge
by icekitten
Summary: There was only thing Edward hated the idea of more than Bella being dead; Bella being living dead. Victoria, alone without James and Laurent, seeks the ultimate revenge. Perhaps she has found a new companion in the human girl she hated so much.
1. Chapter 1

Sweet Revenge

Summary: There was only thing Edward hated the idea of more than Bella being dead; Bella being living dead. Victoria, alone without James and Laurent, seeks the ultimate revenge. Perhaps she has found a new companion in the human girl she hated so much.

Disclaimer: Don't own anything.

Bella's eyes flickered open and saw nothing. The room was pitch black, as was to be expected at night. She lay in bed, her breathing laboured, beads of sweat trickling down her forehead and neck, trying to collect her thoughts and regain composure. The nightmares were getting worse.

She heard Charlie shuffling in his room. She had woken him, and now he was contemplating coming to her. At first, when this had all begun - months ago - he had been at her side instantly. Now, he paused in his room, considering his option to not have to go out and face it yet another night.

"Sweet dreams?" she heard a voice ask.

She jumped. Her eyes adjusted feebly to the poor light. She scanned the room, failing to see who had disturbed the silence. After a moment she managed to focus on a flare of red floating on the other side of the room. She blinked twice. Her vision finally grew accustomed to the darkness and she found herself staring into the black eyes of a tall, fire-haired, feline vampire.

Victoria. The hairs on the back of her neck sprang up. She straightened in bed and stared wide-eyed and unblinking at the predator across from her. So this was it? No one left to save her. No possible way to run and even less to fight. She breathed calmly. She was about to die. She had known it was coming. She just prayed Charlie would choose to stay in his own room tonight.

"You have a lovely home," Victoria stated, moving her position to appreciate the small room. "Very quaint."

Bella couldn't take her eyes of her. Her murderer. She watched as she moved with inhuman grace around the room, seemingly appraising her belongings, looking at everything but her. It was ironic, while watching this woman, knowing exactly what she had come here to do, waiting for her to make her fatal move, it was the anticipation that was killing her.

"If you're here to kill then kill me," Bella spoke with a boldness she didn't feel. If this had to happened, she at least wanted it to be over as fast as possible.

A laugh escaped from the woman standing before her and she turned to stare her down with those dead, black eyes. Bella shuddered.

"I have a proposition for you," Victoria said.

Bella paused, unsure what to make of what she'd heard. "What do you mean?"

Victoria moved like a cat across the room, coming closer towards her and sitting down gently on the edge of the bed. She held her cold, ruthless gaze fixed on Bella. She was making conversation, which was unusual, but that didn't mean she wouldn't still kill her in a heartbeat.

"As you may be aware," Victoria began. "I've spent the last few weeks trying to kill you."

Bella kept quiet and stayed absolutely still. She had no idea how to interact with this woman, this creature. Much less did she have any idea as to where all this was going.

"Firstly - and this is not an apology - I would like to be clear that I have nothing against you," she continued, then smiled to herself and laughed softly. "Well, I can't say I like you very much, but my main goal has always been Edward. He was my real target."

Edward. The familiar pang in her empty chest shot through her again at the mention of his name. She waited endless to get stronger, till the moment his memory wouldn't sting anymore. But still it burned.

She fought back the well of tears building in her eyes at the thought of him, determined not to let her pain show. She may be at the mercy of a vampire but she could still hold on to her dignity.

"At first I was just going to kill him," she carried on. "There was so much rage, so much pain that my judgement was clouded. All I wanted was to make him pay."

Victoria looked down at that moment, the furrow of her brow shadowing her eyes. She seemed lost in thought for a moment, reminiscing. For a fraction of a second, before she lifted her head again, Bella saw a reflection of herself.

"But as I calmed myself, and thought more deeply into how to make him suffer, I realised that the best way to get to him was to go through you.

"And so, that led us here."

Bella focussed on her breathing. Fear and anxiety coursed through her at the close proximity of the vampire. She felt her pulse racing in her neck and inwardly cursed, she didn't need to entice her.

"As you've probably noticed, I then hunted you in search of the slowest and most excruciating way to kill you. I would have succeeded by now, only it seems you have a knack for keeping unusual company."

The corners of Bella's mouth twitched, pulling upward into a smile. She would have to remember to thank Jacob and wolves properly for their help later, if she lived to survive this encounter.

"Anyway," Victoria continued. "When I reviewed the recordings James had made of his attack on you in Arizona, I noticed something peculiar.

"James had bitten you; and Edward sucked the venom out.

"You were battered and bruised, hardly likely to survive. It was a sure thing that, left to transform, you would have lived. And yet he sucked the venom out."

A frown crossed Bella's face. She was still lost as to where Victoria was taking this.

"It occurred to me then that you dying was not the worst thing Edward could imagine, as was the theory I initially acted upon," she stated. "But in fact, it is you living after death that scares him more."

No kidding, her mind threw at her. Edward had made no secret that he had detested the idea of her becoming a vampire. He had told it was because of her soul, for her own good. She knew now it was simply because he didn't want her, even for a short while, let alone eternity.

Once again, she cringed as another stab tore through her and fought back the tears.

"Bella, what I am suggesting to you," Victoria spoke perfectly clearly with a tone of absolute seriousness. "Is that I turn you into a vampire."

Bella's eyes bulged. Had she heard right? Was this really the reason Victoria had broken into her house, watched her as she slept and spared her fragile life at least for the time being? To offer her this?

Her mouth stuttered around the words, it seemed like forever since she had last spoken. "…Why?"

"I've explained why," Victoria answered. "It's the worst that could possibly be done to Edward, the ultimate revenge. And I know immortality is what you want. And besides…" her eyes softened now. "James is gone… And don't even get me started on Laurent taking off. It's not an appealing concept to walk the earth alone for all eternity. I could do with the companionship. And you'll do… as a start."

Bella blinked unbelievingly and stared at her for a moment. "You're telling me you want to turn me into a vampire so that the two of us can be BFFs?"

"I wouldn't put it that way," Victoria grimaced.

There was silence for a few moments as each side contemplated the situation.

"What makes you think I'd agree to this?" Bella asked.

"Because everything I do is to get back at Edward," Victoria answered. "And judging by the way you were screaming in your sleep earlier, I'm guessing you're looking to do the same."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey guys, sorry this took so long but this chapter was a tough one, couldn't skip to the action unfortunately so it's a bit dull, sorry. Chapter three is already well under way and looking damn good if I do say so myself, so stay tuned! Thank you so much for reading! xoxo  
**

Mom,

Calm down, OK? You're overreacting. No, it's not like you're never gonna see me again, we'll have the holidays, you can come visit me or I'll get a plane down to Florida to see you and Phil. And then there's birthdays. And we'll write to each other all the time, like now. I get that you don't like the idea of me being so far away but it's a great opportunity! I'm going to college - not dying!

Love,

Bella xx

Bella read through the message to check for mistakes, wandered for a moment when she'd gotten so good at lying, then hit the send button.

From downstairs floated the smoky aroma of burnt meat. She smiled to herself as she grabbed her shoes and headed for the door. Skipping down the stairs, she heard voices and laughter coming from the back yard. The barbeque was just getting started, the first of the burger victims having been claimed.

She walked out to the crowded garden and smiled at Charlie. He was stood at the grill, dressed in a chef's hat and 'Kiss the Cook' apron. He smiled back wholeheartedly then returned to his conversation with his friends. They were talking about sports or something. He seemed happy, grinning so widely it stretched out almost all of his wrinkles, the only ones left were laugh lines. She noted that on sunny days he looked years younger.

She looked around searching for someone to talk to. The party consisted of Charlie, Billy Black, Harry Clearwater and his wife Sue, their children Leah and Seth, a couple of Charlie's friends from work and their wives, Jacob, and herself.

Jacob it was. She strolled over to where he was sprawled out on the grass, soaking up the heat. He lay shirtless with cut-off jeans, showing as much golden skin as possible and a look of lazy contentment on his face. She laughed at how in love with himself he could be at times, and how much he enjoyed showing off. She came to a stop mere inches from him and looked over his muscled physique, wandering if she would ever have the kind of confidence he did.

"Checking out the goods, Swan?" he asked without opening his eyes.

"Get over yourself," she said and dropped down next to him. They lay in silence for a few moments as Bella stared up at the sky. It was a clear blue, a sure sign that summer existed even in Forks.

"How's things?" he asked lightly.

"Good," she answered. And they were. She focussed on the gaping hole in her chest and felt nothing. It was there, but was now filled with something new - a purpose.

"Finally got away from your mom, I see," Jacob turned his head to the side and looked at her.

She glanced at him then turned away again. What she saw in his eyes, what she had seen growing in them over the past few months, made her uncomfortable. "Yeah," she quipped.

"She's still not on board, huh?"

"Nope."

"Bella, Jacob, come get your burgers!" Charlie called to them.

"Hey, leave the lovebirds alone," she faintly heard one of his friends joke. She cringed. He was like a brother for crying out loud.

"I'll get these," Jake smiled and leapt up, making his way to the patio in long, easy strides.

She sat up and waited for him to return with their food. She stared at the ground, deciding that instead of choosing one of her million thoughts to obsess over, she would watch the grass grow.

"Here you go," he said smiling and handed her burger to her.

She took it and before she had taken even one bite, Jacob had finished his.

"You gonna eat that?" he asked muffled, mouth full of bread and meat, sauce trickling down his chin.

"Help yourself," she handed it back, suddenly not hungry.

The afternoon carried on much the same. Every so often Charlie would make them burgers or hot dogs or steaks and every time Jacob would eat them both. A burst of laughter would erupt from Charlie's friends at something that had been said. Sue and the other woman chatted away in the background, watching their men with both pride and displeasure. Leah was inseparable from her phone. Billy noticed at one point how Jacob was monopolising the food and threatened to roll over him.

Bella and Jacob remained at the safe distance in the middle of the grass. It was still damp despite the sunshine and no one else wanted to sit with them. It suited them fine, giving them a chance to talk about private matters.

"So how are things with the pack?" she spoke in a low voice so no one else would hear.

"Still quiet," Jacob mused. "Everything sorta settled down after that redhead took off. We still don't know what she came here for."

"Weird," Bella said simply.

"Quil phased last week," Jake continued. "We've mostly been focussed on introducing him to our ways. Can you believe he's actually excited he changed?"

"Really?"

"Yeah, says he's happy to finally be in the loop again," he shrugged, clearly at a loss. "None of us understand it. It's not much of an inside joke."

"Well maybe he's just siked about having superpowers," Bella offered, keeping her eyes away from him.

"Whatever."

As time went on the clouds started to reappear in the sky. The garden darkened and a light drizzle began to fall. Everyone packed up their things and headed inside. In the kitchen, Bella helped Charlie load dishes into the dishwasher and made small talk with one of the women whose name she didn't know. She and Jake were about to head up to her room when a balding, middle-aged man with a thick neck grabbed hold of her.

"Hold up, let me get a good look at you," he said in a friendly tone.

"Bella, this is Frank, a friend of mine from work," Charlie explained. "You used to have play dates with his daughter, remember?"

"Yeah, absolutely." She didn't.

"Wow, look at you, all grown up," he beamed. "I hear your graduating soon?"

"Next week," Bella answered. She and Jacob shared a look that all teenagers did when it was the grown-ups making shows of themselves.

"Unbelievable," he laughed. "Hey, Charlie, you remember when we took little Bella and Katie swimming? That seems like yesterday! It's depressing," but he still smiled.

"Yep, we're getting old, my friend," Charlie spoke while popping the top off a beer.

"Something for you to look forward to," he said to them both, only half joking.

"Indeed," Bella mumbled to herself as she walked away. 

A week after Charlie Swan threw a barbeque for his friends a man named Alan Parker dropped dead.

His pale, drained body slumped to the floor at the feet of a beautiful redhead he'd dared to believe was attracted to him. She laughed. Her mother, a distant memory in the depths of her human mind, had told her once never to play with her food. Fuck you, Mom. She liked to toy with them.

Victoria walked confidently back towards the bar, wiping the last drops of blood from her lips. She swayed her hips more than necessary and tossed her hair. Something about having hot, undiluted blood coursing through her made her feel sexy and wild. James had always loved it after she fed, unable to take his eyes off her movements, unable to keep his hands to himself. She smiled thinking about him and what she was going to do for him, sure she had only a little while longer to wait.

She froze, realising she had lost track of time.

She noticed a man leaning against the outside wall of the bar. He was alone, bottle in hand, and slightly drunk. He winked at her and she threw him a flirtatious smile. She approached him, still wearing the smile, and acted coy and enticing like human girls did.

"Excuse me," she asked softly. A wicked smile crossed his face, believing he was getting more than what he would. "You wouldn't happen to have the date, would you?"

He frowned and almost laughed at her, unsure of what to make of such an obscure question. "It's the 18th."

She grinned wildly to herself, snapped the man's neck with one hand, and began to run. It was time to return to Forks. 

Bella fidgeted anxiously in the abandoned warehouse, waiting for her companion to arrive, the usual thoughts consuming her once again. It had been months since she'd last seen Victoria. Since that fateful night they'd made their deal. Now, the time had come.

Victoria had wanted to do it there and then, but Bella had insisted they wait till after graduation. After all, she wasn't trying to hurt everyone with this. Charlie didn't need to be putting up 'Missing Girl' fliers; her mom didn't need to think her daughter was dead.

She had strewn together a delicate web of lies to convince everyone she was going to college. She had even forged the acceptance letter. She'd gone to a lot of trouble to ensure minimal collateral damage and was impressed with her success.

Of course, that didn't mean she was without her concerns. Least of all, getting caught.

She had realised a few days after striking the deal that with the decision having been made well in advance, there was no way Alice couldn't see it. Everyday for five months she had jumped every time the phone rang or there was a knock at the door, fearing that on the other side would be a Cullen deciding what was best for her.

Nerve of some people. She'd carried on nonetheless, making a point every day to think about what she was letting herself in for, daring them to come give her a condescending piece of advice. They never did.

It helped though, thinking it through so many times. She couldn't count how often she'd thought about backing out. After all, what was she turning for? Revenge? That would - she knew deep down - be unsatisfying and over all too soon. What then? What else was she planning to do with the rest of eternity?

The truth was, she didn't know. And much less cared. She figured she didn't need to make all her decisions in a hurry considering there was hardly a rush. She'd have plenty of time.

No, her reason for doing this was simple. She wanted to. She'd wanted to be changed ever since she first met… him, and still wanted it. And if it hurt him half as much as he'd hurt her, well that was a bonus.

Sick of thinking, she made her way over to the window, peering out into the empty distance between her and civilization where screams couldn't reach, wandering what was taking so long.

"Bella," she heard a voice behind her, turned, and standing before her was Victoria.

The two women eyed each other cautiously for a moment, gauging in their minds how well they believed they could trust their companion. It was awkward, of course, but after a few minutes their nerves settled, knowing that they both shared far more in common than either of them admitted. Victoria spoke first.

"You ready to do this?" she asked, her voice heavy with the weight of that question.

After one last moment of silent contemplation, thoughts and fears running wildly through her head and then quietening, Bella took one strong step forward and looked her dead in the eye. "Hell yeah."


End file.
